Information Connection, 0817 WYBJ, Vol. 40 No. 4. 50
Author | Debora Person Associate Law Librarian University of Wyoming Law Library |
AI Application in the Practice of Law
Debora Person Associate Law Librarian University of Wyoming Law Library
Artificial
intelligence (AI) has become a major talking-point in the
future of legal practice. Te initial usefulness of AI in
legal practice has grown out of the unprecedented expansion
of big data.
Artificial
intelligence is an umbrella term. It refers to natural
language processing and machine learning functions. Natural
language processing is reading comprehension, so to speak. Te
system uses the keywords that you input, explores these terms
for synonyms, searches for them within documents, and looks
at their context and syntax as well as the content of the
surrounding sentences and paragraphs for results. It may next
employ machine learning, a technique for detecting patterns
and surfacing information using algorithms and by
“observing” selections researchers make from
results lists or from responses to system queries. Depending
on the product, it may then use the data to improve its
functionality for similar future searches. In the everyday
world, we may see such examples using speech (SIRI or Alexa),
vision (CAPTCHA security features for web site
authentication),
Source: CAPTCHA, http://www.captcha.net, copyright Carnegie Mellon University.
The Practice of Law
But what impact does this new technology have on the practice of law? Right now, there isn’t one AI legal tool for all functions but rather many that are performing computations of legal data for different purposes or in specific areas of law. Products like eBrevia, KMStandards, Kira Systems, RAVN, and Luminance perform e-discovery, compliance, contract analysis, case prediction, document automation, or due diligence. Leaving these repetitive tasks to computers frees up attorney time for analyzing the results of the searches. Tough limited mostly to corporate law at this time, we are beginning to see some of these resources touch on other areas of practice. ComplianceHR is specific to Human Resource professionals. Lex Machina specializes in IP law. Ravel Law analyzes actions of specific judges, courts, and firms to predict the most likely outcome of cases, motions, and other litigation tactics.
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